Epstein's Files: How Partisan Wildfires Bury Survivors in the Ashes
The most recent surge of allegations is focused on claims that Trump spent “hours” with an Epstein victim. But what’s driving this? We see a 2011 Epstein email chain where Epstein vents to Ghislaine Maxwell about a victim’s time at Mar-a-Lago with Trump. In it, there is no substantiated criminal accusation in those documents; it looks more like news disguised as innuendo. The Trump White House has pointed to the BBC’s fact check, which states that the emails merely offer rumors, not proof of a crime or wrongdoing.
With media coverage, sometimes, it’s a case of “if it bleeds, it leads” and can run with a story, inflating ambiguous circumstances into certain ones. We often see this with social media, particularly with X and TikTok summaries, where users believe they have found the “smoking gun.” However, these files are far from being definitive; they are more open to interpretation than the world of viral outrage would suggest.
Virginia Giuffre, the central Epstein accuser known in court documents as “VG,” is at the center of this speculation. In her 2016 deposition, Giuffre testified she never saw Trump in the company of underage girls or engaging in anything inappropriate. Trump advocates use this testimony as a shield to block any potential guilt by association. There is nuance to this that becomes apparent from more recent interviews. Giuffre admitted Trump “flirted” at Mar-a-Lago, but stated he “didn’t partake” in any illegal or exploitative acts. Acknowledging both statements is essential; we cannot selectively pick which quotation to use as ammo against one side.
“Knew About the Girls”: Context Above All
Another phrase has gone viral, “Knew about the girls,” surfaced from a 2019 email that Epstein sent to author Michael Wolff, complaining that Trump had asked Maxwell to stop after the Mar-a-Lago ban. Context is king, and we must provide it to get to the truth. The added context reveals that Trump was not complicit, but rather a disruptor, which greatly disturbed Epstein. Epstein had leveraged similar tactics against other prominent figures, such as Clinton and Prince Andrew, in which he would spread rumors as a form of self-preservation, not actual evidence. This is noted by USA Today and others.
We cannot underestimate how significant it is to understand Epstein’s manipulative playbook. Emails and court drama are far from objective evidence; however, readers often conflate them as such.
Messy Files, Survivor Empathy, and Congressional Shell Games
Like many news stories where issues become partisan, the interpretation of the story itself and these documents have become a political Rorschach test—everyone digs in to go after their enemy. One of the disturbing parts is that with every headline, we get closer to theater and sensationalism and further removed from the survivors of Epstein’s abuse; these individuals are being erased from the story, and they should be front and center, receiving justice. With that in mind, Judge Loretta Preska, who oversees file redactions, has cited continued investigations and concerns for witness safety as the rationale for the files remaining undisclosed. Leaks and selective disclosures multiply the risks to the survivors and obscure vital facts.
In the meantime, Congress seems content playing the partisan angle. The current discharge petition, with 218 signatures, reveals another strategy: each side fights for transparency when it can harm their enemy, but then stalls when it comes too close to home. This week’s file dump laid it bare: President Trump took to X demanding Attorney General Pam Bondi investigate Epstein’s ties to Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, and JP Morgan—a deflection as his own name surfaced repeatedly in the emails. The documents had barely hit the internet before turning into political weapons. When this is said and done, the survivors and accountability itself are all too often hit with collateral damage.
The Real Standard for Accountability
If being transparent is important and meaningful, we must demand it everywhere, not just when it’s a matter of convenience. Selective outrage and weaponizing the narrative bury both the facts and justice for survivors.